’24’s’ Return Is Official, Jack Bauer Rides Again in 2014!

We never would have believed it, but it seems Jack Bauer has officially been called back to duty. Just days after FOX announced that Kiefer Sutherland's post-'24' vehicle 'Touch' had been canceled in its second season, the network made official its plans to return the counter-terrorism thriller in a new limited run series to begin airing in mid 2014. Find out about Jack Bauer's big '24' return inside!

The '24' movie may have seemed to be a lost cause, but it looks like fans haven't seen the last of Jack Bauer after all. Via FOX entertainment president Kevin Reilly, we've learned that negotiations with Kiefer Sutherland have succeeded, bringing Jack Bauer back for a '24' limited series event to begin airing in May 2014.

“[It's] '24' compressed over 12 weeks,” explained Reilly of the decision to revive the Emmy-winning show after Sutherland's 'Touch' fell through. “It will go chronologically over the day, but it will skip hours. It will be dictated by the plot. The spine of the original 24 episodes was about 12 hours. Those were when the big events occurred, and then there were little events and connective tissue in between. So [we're] taking the best 12 [of the 24].”

The continuation series, titled '24: Live Another Day,' comes from longtime '24' showrunner Howard Gordon, now executive producer of Showtime’s 'Homeland.' Teakwood Lane will co-produce the new '24' run with original series producers Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox TV, with Imagine’s Brian Grazer returning as executive producer. Writer David Fury is expected to return for the run as well.

UPDATE: Watch the official trailer for the return of '24' below!

Well, what say you? Are you as shocked to have '24' back next year as we are? What new plots would you like to see Jack Bauer go up against?